USCIS Now Allows Additional Applicants to Apply for Provisional Waiver

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USCIS Now Allows Additional Applicants to Apply for Provisional Waiver

By
Sintsirmas & Mueller
|August 29, 2016

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has expanded the
existing provisional waiver process that was established in 2013, allowing
specific family members of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents
(green card carriers), as well as those who are eligible for
immigrant visas, to navigate the U.S. immigration process more easily. The new rule will
go into effect on August 29, 2016.

This provisional unlawful waiver is aimed for those who are eligible to
receive a green card in the United States but afraid of leaving the country
to attend their consular visa interview, out of fear that they will not
be allowed to re-enter the U.S. due to their illegal stay. Fortunately,
such individuals are able to apply for this wavier and travel back to
their home countries, attend their visa interviews, and come back to the
U.S., pending application approval.

Since the USCIS’ provisional waiver program is designed to unite
families, it reduces the time eligible applicants must wait to complete
their immigration processing abroad. In addition, the program improves
administrative efficiency and reduces the time eligible applicants are
away from their family members who are U.S. citizens or green card carriers.

These individuals can apply for this waiver of the “unlawful presence
ground of inadmissibility” if their U.S. citizen immediate family
member would experience extreme hardship if the waiver is not granted.
Currently, only immediate relatives of U.S. citizens are eligible to apply
before leaving the U.S. for processing purposes.

If you are interested to find out if your loved one is eligible for the
provision waiver according to USCIS’ new ruling,
contact Sintsirmas & Mueller and schedule a
consultation with our North East Ohio immigration lawyers today.

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